Candle machine



y .1929- A. GISOLFI ET AL CANDLE MACHINE Filed Sept. 1, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet l A. GISOLFI ET AL CANDLE MACHINE July 23, 1929.

Filed Sept. 1, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented July 23, 1929.

UNITED STATES.

ALFONSO GISOLFI AND GIUSEPPE GISOLFI, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

CANDLE MAOHINE.

Application filed September This invention relates to the art of Candle making and has particular reference to mechauical means for inserting the wicks into candles.

Among the objects of the present invention is to provide a machine for inserting the wicks into candles in a peculiarlyadvam tagcous manner with respect to rapidity of action. precision of performance, with the least amount of waste of candle and WIClK material, and the production of a finished candle of superior quality.

lVith the foregoing and other ob ects in view the invention. consists in. the arrangc ment and combination of parts hereinafter described and claimed, and while the invention not restricted to the exactdetails of construction disclosed or suggested herein, still. for the purpose of illustrating a practical embodiment thereof reference is hadto the accompanying drawings in which like referenc characters designate the same parts in the several views. and in which- Figure 1 is a front elevation of a preferred embodiment of the invention.

i 2 is av ri 'lit side elevation of the same. i

Fig. 3 is a plan view.

Fig. 1 is an enlarged side elevation of the wick feeding mechanism and a vertical section of the guide means substantially along the axis of the candle.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary plan view of the candle seat and cutter mechanism.

Fig. 6 is a rear elevation and vertical transverse section on the broken line 66 of F ig. l. I

Fig. 7 is a plan view of the wick clip.

Fig. 8 is a sectional view of the same on the line 8 8 of Fig. 7.

Referring now more specifically to the drawings. we show a machine comprising an upright frame 10 having four supporting a table 11 of substantially rectangular form as shown. It is to be understomh however, that the precise design of this frame construction may be varied without varying the scope of the invention.

Supported upon the table and preferably in fixed relation thereto is an upright bracket 12 having a forward overhang with a vertical head or guide 13, the lower end of which is spaced upward from the table. A plunger 14 is mounted for vertical reciprocations in said guide 13 and has connected to its upper end a cross head 15 and connect- Serial No. 216,898.

ed to its lower end a head and actuator 16, the latter having an inclined front face 16. Pivoted to the cross head at 17 is a rod 18 leading downward to a treadle 19 mounted atits rear end upon a horizontal supporting rod 20 and having at its front end a footpiece 21 located just in front of the frame. The forward portion of the treadle or lever 19 co-operates with a vertical guide 22 supported upon a front horizontal rod 23 and having in its upper end an adjustable screw 2i for limiting the upward swing of the lever 19 to various extents under the contractile force of a spring 25 connected to the lever and to an overhead support- 26. Mounted adjustably in the front portion of the cross head 15 is a follower 27 having a head or rammer 28 at its lower end and a hand wheel 29 at its upper end for the adjust ment thereof. This follower is located in front of and parallel to the plunger 14 and the effective elevation of it is determined by the rotation thereof in the threaded front portion of the cross head. After it is properly adjusted it is locked by a lock nut 30. By virtue of the spring 25 the lever 19 is normally elevated and through the connecting rod 18, the plunger and follower are held normally elevated so that the rammer 28 is spaced above the table.

31 indicates a reel or spool of wick material lV mounted upon a horizontal spindle 32 j ournaled in bearings 33 connected to the re r vertical legs of the frame.

Secured beneath the table 11 as by a bracket 34L is a quill 35 having a tapered bore 36, the taper being toward its upper end and constituting an initial guide'for the wick which passes upward therethrough toward a. final guide of resilient construction and shown as consisting of a spirally wound spring 37 whose lower end is supported upon a pin 38 extending downward from the table. The main portion of the coil is vertical and in alignment with the tapered bore 36. The wick is threaded upward through the coil 87 and is guided thereby through the hole in a disk or die 39 fitted permanently in a recess 40 formed in the table. The die 39 is shown as of low conical form but having a flat upper surface 39. 'ith a central hole therethrough.

Fixed upon the upper surface of the table and concentric with said hole in the die and the axis of the two wick guides 35 and 37, is a candle support 41 of disk-like construcshapes of candles and which serve to hold the candles properly seated and centered.

The preferred means for feeding the wick upward successively comprises a pair of friction wheels and 44 journaled upon supporting spindles 45 and 46 respectively carried by a dependent bracket 47 from a slide 11 on the table. These wheels are provided with tires 48 of rubber or other suitable friction material which roll close together. The wheel 43 is provided with a pinion 49 meshing with a larger toothed gear 50 journaled on a shaft 51 in front of the shaft 45. A hand lever 52 is journaled likewise upon the shaft 51 and is fixed as by a screw 53 to a ratchet wheel 54 coaxial with the wheel 50. Co-operating with the ratchet wheel is a spring pressed pawl pivoted upon the wheel 50. The 'atchet mechanism is so disposed that when the lever is swung-upward at its front end by the operator, the gear 50 is caused to rotate through a similar angle and the wheel 42 is rotated in the opposite direction at a multiple speed or angular distance due to the disparity in diameter of the gears 49 and 50. A relatively short throw of the lever 52 will produce a sufficient rotation of the wheel 43 and through frictional contact of the wheel 44 for delivering a sufficient length of the wick upward between the two tires 48 for the purpose of the invention. The lever 52 is normally seated downward against an adjustable stop 56 borne by the upper portion of the frame at 57. The up ward swing of the lever is limited by an adjustable stop 58 having threaded engagement with the front portion of the table at 59. The machine is peculiarly adapted consequently for use in connection with candles not only of different designs or diameters, but different lengths, and the wick feeding mechanism is accordingly adjustable so as to feed the precise desired length of wick in each instance. For feeding the wick the lever 52 is swung upward until stopped by the abutment 58, causing the rotation of the several wheels as explained, and thereafter the lever 52 is returned idly to its normal position as shown in Fig. 4, the ratchet wheel 54 slipping idly under the pawl at such time and all the wheels being held from reverse rotation by suitable check mechanism. F or instance, as shown at 60,

there is provided a brake shoe adjustable through a screw mechanism 61 to bear forward against the rear side of a hub 62 constituting a part of the wheel 44. This check mechanism serves, therefore, not only to hold the wheels from accidental movement, but serves to hold the wick from any possible undesired movement, the wick being held taut by the frictional grip thereof between the two tires 48. r

The candles to be supplied with wicks are delivered to the machine in uniform sizes and lengths, full and dotted lines in Fig. 4 indicating a few of various sizes and shapes, and the supporting mechanism for the candles will receive them in proper position over the guide holes and in alignment with the upper or free end of the wick. lVhen a candle C is thus positioned, the operator gives an upward swing to the lever 52 with the result that the wick is fed upward and projected through and slightly above the candle as shown at w. The operator then places a clip 63 upon the end of the candle and over the wick, the wick passing upward through a pronged opening 64in the center of the clip. The clip includes also a rim It will be understood that with this placing of the candle, the feeding of the wick upward t-herethrough, and the placement of the clip, all take place beneath the rammer 28 and in vertical alignment therewith. After the parts are positioned as above de scribed, the operator depresses the lever 19 with his foot, causing the downward thrust of the plunger which serves to flatten the prongs at 64 to original position flush with the disk portion of the clip, thereby gripping and sealing the exposed end of the wick in the clip and also forcing the rim portion 65 of the clip into the end of the candle.

Substantially coincident with the sealing of the wick in the manner just described, cutter mechanism is actuated for severing the unit wick from the bulk of the wick material and at a proper length from the candle. To this end a cutter 66 is provided, the same being shown in the nature of a chisel and connected to the slide 67 movable fore and aft along the rear portion of the table under the influence of the front beveled surface 16 of the actuator, the same bearing downward and forward against an anti-friction roller 68 journaled in the rear portion of the slide. Thus the slide is moved forward against the contractile force of a spring or springs 69 attached in any suitable manner as to the bracket 12. The fiat side of the cutter 66 has close shearing contact with the flat upper face 39 of the guide disk or die 39, and this surface is spaced sufficiently far below the end of the candle to leave the necessary length of wick for lighting purposes. It must be apparent, therefore, that the machine is not only adapted for considerable degree of adjustment as to different sizes and designs of candles, but also is sure and certain of operation and rapid in execution.

The construction of the clip 63 is such as to serve not only in a peculiarly advantageous manner for holding the wick in the candle, but especially the design of the clip is such that the wick is held and supported in upright position thereby until the last vestige of the candle material is consumed. The prongs, bent down flat again to grip the wick constitute a substantial seal for the clip, the clip constituting at such time a virtual pan for holding the last drop of oil as well as keeping the wick in upright position. Thereby it follows that the common source of danger of fires resulting from broken candle holders is practically eliminated. In the common forms of candle wick holders there is the constant danger that the charred remains of the wick while yet hot will fall over against the candle holder and cause the breakage thereof due to irregular heat. In our improvement, not only is the wick held upright by the pan, but there is no possible danger of a conflagration result ing from the use of the candle.

We claim:

1. In a candle machine, the combination of a table, means to support the table, the table having guide means for passing a wick upward therethrough, a supporting member on the table for receiving and holding a candle, means to feed the Wick upward through the table and into the candle, said means including a helical wire guide for the wick, and a manually operated. device for simultaneously locking the wick in the candle and severing it from the wick roll.

2. Mechanism as set forth in claim which the means for fixing the wick in a candle and severing the wick consists of a plunger, a. cross head connected to the plunger, a follower connected to the plunger fixed in the cross head, a cam connected to the plunger, and a blade actuated by the cam. 4

3. Mechanism as set forth in claim 1 in which the means for securing the wick in the candle comprises a vertically reciprocatting plunger, a follower connected to the plunger, and a cross head fixed to the plunger and in which the follower is mounted for vertical adjustment with re- :spect to the plunger for the accommodation of candles of different lengths.

4. Mechanism as set forth in claim 1 in which the means for cutting off the wick comprises a. cutter movable transversely to the length of the wick, a slide to which the cutter is connected, and a cam shaped actuator movable transversely of the direction of movement of the slide and serving to cause the slide to move in its cutting action.

5. WVick feeding mechanism for candle machines comprising a die, a pair of wheels journaled beneath the die and serving to move the wick upward through the die, and skeletonized guide means for the wick between the rollers and the die, said guide means being hollow to receive the wick therein.

6. Mechanism as set forth in claim 5 in which the die has a small fiat central top and cutter mechanism slidable across said flat top for severing the wick While the wheels hold the wick in steady position, the portion of the die about said top being recessed to avoid contact with the cutter.

7. The herein described wick holder for candles comprising a circular disk having a center pronged opening to receive and grip the end of a wick and having a marginal rim adapted to be forced into the body of the candle and thereby hold the wick in fixed position.

8. A holder as set forth in claim 7 in which the wick gripping prongs are adapted to be flattened down substantially into the plane of the disk.

9. A machine of the character described comprising a table having a guide opening over which a candle is supported, means for feeding awick through said opening, means for actuating said feeding means, a; disk supported on the upper end of the candle, said disk having a central wick receiving hole and a plurality of prongs around said hole to engage the Wick, said disk having a downward ext-ending annular flange along the periphery thereof and means to strike the prongs of the disk to cause the same to engage the Wick and also to drive the flange into the body of the candle.

In testimony whereof we aflix our signatures.

ALFONSO GISOLFI. GIUSEPPE GISOLFI. 

